Why "just relaxing" fails when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode

<p>Occupational medicine physician and life coach Claudine Holt discusses her article "<a href= "https://kevinmd.com/2026/01/nervous-system-dysregulation-vs-stress-why-just-relaxing-doesnt-work.html">Nervous system dysregulation vs. stress: Why 'just relaxing' doesn't work</a>." Claudine challenges the common advice to treat burnout with self-care like massages or vacations. She explains that for many, stress is not a mindset issue but a physiological state of the nervous system. The conversation highlights how behaviors like perfectionism and people-pleasing are actually adaptive survival strategies, not character flaws. Claudine argues that when the body is …